JDAWG Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 I just bought a Summit Titan treestand and was wondering if anyone had any tips about climbing stands? I've been a ladder stand kind of guy in the past so any tips are appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rem308 Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 These may speak for themselves, but I'll give you a few I try to remember: 1. Whatever type of fastener your stand uses to connect the cable around the tree to the other side of the stand...get 4 extras and connect them to your stand. You will drop one before daylight in frosty leaves and need extras! 2. Check the tree you're climbing closely for knots or branches that the stand will snag on (tree preparation is important when you're getting shooting lanes setup). 3. I have a pre-measured pull-rope attached to the top of my stand that I use to pull my bow up with. It is pre-measured so I know when climbing if I'm at the desired height or not. Again, in the dark, EARLY in the morning, I've went too high, or not high enough. 4. When I connect my stand to a tree, I have the stand at quite a pitch, very unlevel. I do this so that when I get to my desired height, it will be leveled out and safe. 5. Lastly, be safe, wear proper harnesses, and practice a lot in the daylight. I love my climber, allows me to hunt a lot of different areas each year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sskybnd Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 yes rem has the points you need to know, but if your not used to a climber, you should practice with it till you can do it in the dark, and feel comfortable climbing up a tree, its hard to put a climber on a tree holding a flashlight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethan Givan Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 Yep what they said. I have a Summit Viper that I have used alot for the last 3 years. You want to be able to put it on a tree in the dark, and without making a ton of racket. Practicing putting it on a tree will also help you learn how much of a pitch to put your stand on the base of the tree. If you dont then you will get up to the height you wanna hunt and either be leaning down, or leaning up which is very uncomfortable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoosierhunter Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 best tip I have is get in shape because if you don't you will sweat to beat the band........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoytHunter5293 Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 best tip I have is get in shape because if you don't you will sweat to beat the band........ so true. i usually take my hat or jacket off when i climb not that im not in shape but if you dont take your time climbimg you get worked up pretty quick and sweat = cold and stinky . and those green aligator straps that come with summits i always put mine around the top of mine to secure it to the tree and all i can do is preach SAFETY because 2 bow seasons ago my stepdad fell 30 ft hunting by himself and got lucky someone found him Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
layin on the smackdown Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 I think they covered all the basics..Well done team...The rest you will learn as you go. Good Luck... Class dismissed one more note: make sure that sucker is stable when you are done climbing - it sucks really bad when things move, twist or wiggle when you do not expect it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnf Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 Make sure you tie the top and bottom sections together with a rope that is short enough that you can get your feet in the stirrups while hanging from the top. (trying to reach for it really stinks) Wear your harness every time you go up and use the rope thing that came with the stand all the way up and down. Get your seat height set BEFORE you go up a tree. I set mine low when gun hunting to use the rail as a gun rest and as high as I can get it when bow hunting so I can shoot sitting down. Occasionally Summits stick together. Take a file and file down the very last tooth a bit on the inside of the bottom platform. That will keep them from locking together. Like the other guys said. Practice on a tree full light. If you're short like me put the carry strap lower than the book tells you. It will get the stand higher on your back. You can walk balanced better and the cables won't hit you in the legs when you're walking. I wear a fanny pack and put it on my backside when walking in the woods. The pack keeps the stand from bouncing and kills noise. The summit bags are a great idea, but don't hold up well. The stirrups look flimsy, but work great. If you don't have a foot rest you may want to get one. I hear that it makes long hunts a lot more comfortable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
struttinhoyt Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 Added tip!!!... As soon as I get up in the stand to the height that I like.... I try and stand on the very edge of the of the bottom piece and kinda rock it back and forth and sink those teeth down in the tree a little bit.... I then will sit on the railing of the top peice and kinda wiggle just a touch to get those teeth sunk in also.... This makes for a very solid sit in the stand.... Practice, Practice, Practice.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HUNTINGMAN Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 Some realy good points made,I just want to say again about the importance of keeping the top and bottom connected with a strap while climbing just incase the bottom comes loose and falls to the ground.My brother inlaw had this happen one time,he was just luck enough to have someone hunting with him that could come and tie a rope to the bottom so he could pull it back up.Also have your safety harness on from the time your feet leave the ground until the time they hit the ground again,and remember that trees with slick bark are not as easy to climb as other trees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 Pretty well covered above. Rem308 nailed most points. As someone else mentioned, be sure your two stand sections are tied together. Summits are pretty easy stands to climb with. Be careful on your descent, think climbing down offers more chance for slipping than going up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawgitall Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 Great choice in stands. I have one and love it. One thing I may add is to practice shooting out of your climber. When you shoot downward your Bow limbs can hit the stands rail. This cost my friend a 140 Buck in Ohio a couple years ago. Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BowJoe Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 Let me know what you think of the Titan. I'm a pretty big guy and I'm interested in what you think of the comfort of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 Rem had a great tip about starting out with the stand at a 30-40 degree angle so it will be level higher up. All trees are different and good judging takes time. John hit the nail with his fanny pack suggestion! You can add a 6 inch folding saw (Gerber makes a decent one) to the pack to trim small branches as you climb. I also take a longer tree saw to clear shooting lanes. I like to use a hang it all belt. Small and allows me to hang up my grunt call, range finder, binoculars, etc... I wear a head band flashlight while climbing in the dark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawgitall Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 For what its worth I'm a big guy to. I have had many climbers. The Titan is the best I have used. Very Comfortable. Allows you to be still long periods of time. Don't go to sleep! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LifeNRA Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 Wear your harness!!! Practice, practice, and practice some more!!! I use a Energizer LED headlight for walking in and setting up my climber(Summit Goliath). I also set the shoulder straps down one rung from where they tell you to put them. This way the climber sits higher on your back and wont get in the way of your legs and feet as you walk and step over obstacles. I also suggest that you get the deluxe straps Summit has. These straps make the weight of the stand more comfortable as you walk in, especially on longer walks! The ones they give you with your stand are too narrow, and dig into your shoulders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Kid Posted August 14, 2009 Report Share Posted August 14, 2009 all these are good ideas one trick i also do is i tie my rope to to the (legs) that are on the climber, its easy to get to and the rope doesnt get tangled. The good thing about climbers are its real easy to set up on a buck if he changes his pattern.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hunterbobb Posted August 15, 2009 Report Share Posted August 15, 2009 My advice is to stay with the ladder stands. Much safer and easier to use in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDAWG Posted August 15, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 15, 2009 Thanks for all of the tips. I am a Big guy also, this is why I chose the titan. I practiced on it today, didn't go up very high, but I can see how the tips you guys gave me will help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.ALLEN.IA Posted August 17, 2009 Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 As the others stated- tie the two sections together for if your feet come out of stirups, one other trick that I've done being larger and with all the gear on is I tie the two feet loops together and add a pull string to the top section so when full loaded with gear I can have them tight yet get my feet in. Other tip in having extra clips, is that I had gotten up a great tree and it got quite a bit smaller toward the stand height so I went to tighten it up, lost the clip off the top section. Was going to have to bail from the treen 20 feet up, until I got a buddy to answer his phone to come get me down. I now have extras fastened to the stand. Love my climbers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerClay Posted August 17, 2009 Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 Some realy good points made,I just want to say again about the importance of keeping the top and bottom connected with a strap while climbing just incase the bottom comes loose and falls to the ground.. YES SIR, sound advice! This happened to me. Fortunately I was just trying it out in the yard and someone was there to help me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spikekiller Posted August 17, 2009 Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 Looks like all the good advise has been given...so all I have offer is be sure to place your stand within 15-20 yards of where that big buck will be passing by on opening day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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